Dear Sung Cho
by TrisakAminawn
Summary: Shuichi Hatanaka tells his college sweetheart everything, especially the things that worry him. Kurama should have learned already that memory erasure can't solve all his family problems.  Epistolary story.
1. Dear Sung Cho

Dear Sung Cho,

How did the lecture go? I'm assuming you finished your paper on time, because you always do. I apologize again for having to leave so abruptly—you _know_ I'm sorry about that dance—but mothers are mothers, even step-mothers, and pneumonia is serious. My elder brother got here the day before I did, though I have the impression he's missing some kind of med school exams! He hasn't left Mom's hospital room since he got here, not even to sleep, and I'm getting annoyed, because he doesn't seem to realize that as long as he's sitting there holding her hand Dad feels that he has to be there too, and it's not good for him to sit up so long. This is the second time they've nursed her through illness, but Dad and she weren't married then, so it's different now. Don't worry, Cho-chan, I'm sleeping like a sane person. I'm even doing all the homework I know about. The sickroom is creepily quiet most of the time except for Mom's difficult breathing, since she can't talk and it isn't occurring to older brother or Dad that they can, but nurses come in sometimes, and doctors. Even though I'm worried, I have to admit it's one of the funniest things in the world to see my stepbrother correcting the doctors right and left, or occasionally condescending enough to argue with them—the looks on their stupid faces, so used to being unquestioned authorities—at least, it would be funny if it wasn't for the way _he_ looks. He takes the creepy cake, I'm afraid. Dad's fine, except for the lack of sleep and the worry. The family cat says hello. All my love.

-Shuichi

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Dear Sung Cho,

Thank god for you! You saved my bacon in Physics. I love that dog. Has he really learned to shake, or are you just saying that? How's the lab write-up coming? Say hello to everyone on the hall for me, okay?

Mom woke up today—that is, she was lucid and everything before going back to sleep. It was such a relief! Dad and brother were lit up from inside like your paper lanterns the whole time they were talking to her. I didn't say much myself. Mostly I smiled at her; she's always been the best of stepmothers. I was eleven when Dad married her, which is late enough that she never felt quite like my mother, but early enough that she's very important to me. Both your parents are still alive, but maybe you'll understand anyway. Are they back from their trip home to Korea yet? (Have I told you this month how glad I am that you decided to go to school in the country you were raised in instead of the one you were born in? Love you.) Dad actually did most of the talking. Brother restricted himself to meaningful utterances and squeezing her fingers until I worried they would break, as brittle as they look. I realized just how sick she was, now that she's a little better. I heard my brother telling himself yesterday, '_This _I can help with.' I want to ask him how he thinks he can help with pneumonia exactly, but I won't. What would you bet he went into medicine because of the time nine years ago that she almost died? Huh, I'm talking about daiShuichi a lot, but he is just about the only interesting thing in the room, and I'm not exactly wandering around on the town with Mom sick like this.

I'll describe the most interesting doctor. He's a tall man, very pale, who smiles like he's so sure he knows better that he doesn't even have to show it off. He never looks right at you even when he points his face and eyes in your direction and reacts to you as if he's looking. In fact, he never moves his eyes, just his face. I'd swear he was blind, except that he notices things a blind man couldn't. He's only come in twice, but he left a singular impression. Probably the most incredible thing about him, though, is that he's the only one my brother hasn't contradicted. May be because he didn't say very much, though.

What did Professor Itagi assign today? He didn't post the work online, he always forgets. Ask Mikoto about Heian Readings, too, since you don't take it, could you? Can't wait to hear from you. Kisses.

-Shuichi

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Dear Sung Cho,

_Kitsunetsuki_ is a folklore term for possession by a fox spirit, which has been adopted into modern Japanese clinical psych terminology to mean the condition of _believing_ oneself to be possessed by a fox spirit. The condition is more common among females, according with the traditional predilection of foxes to impersonate women, but it's not unknown in men. The usual symptoms are a vast hunger for tofu, red beans, aburaage, and other supposed favorite foods of foxes; psychosomatic physical symptoms such as lumps on the body; barking like a fox; and of course considering oneself to be either a fox or the host of a possessing fox spirit. I tell you all this because your background is neither Japanese nor in psychology, and I want you to know what I mean when I say I'm afraid my brother is _kitsunetsuki._ The word was a catch-all for most forms of mental disturbance for several centuries, but that isn't what I mean—in fact, if it weren't for this bizarre conviction of his, I wouldn't say there was anything really wrong with him. Always weird, though. If he loves Mom so much—which, all right, I can tell he does—why was my first year of being his brother spiked with long absences? It didn't put him behind in school, him being a genius, but it put this hole in our family that it seemed like Mom was always watching.

And he thinks he's a fox. Mom told him today, last time she was conscious, that he _had_ to sleep, and Dad badgered him about it until he left in the early evening. She was breathing better by then, anyway. I suppose he decided it was safe enough to let my father have her to himself. After a while I decided that if he could go, I could go, so I packed up my books and said I'd see them later and Dad nodded. At home, my brother was in his room—Mom and Dad keep up both our rooms, even though we've left home; I guess it's proof that they love us—but I could tell when I'd tiptoed halfway up the stairs for fear of waking him that he wasn't asleep. He was talking. This used to happen sometimes, now I think of it. At night. I expect I went and checked then, but I was a child…it's foggy. Perhaps I didn't. I was a little bit in awe of him in those days. But today I did check, and more intelligently than I would have done it before I met Mikoto. The heating ducts at home are wonderful sound conductors, so I crept downstairs and opened the one in the pantry, which is beneath his bedroom. I transcribed the conversation I overheard, and I'll write it down here for you, so you can tell me what you think.

"-like old times," said my brother. His voice reverberated oddly through the duct, but it was still recognizable, and had a weary version of the wry, dry tone he uses to such effect.

"Hn," said the other. It was an unfamiliar voice—I think—and though it's not fair to judge someone by hearing their voice through a heating duct, it had a flat, unpleasant sound. I disliked it immediately.

"Thank you for coming," my brother went on after a brief silence. "It has been a while. You didn't have to."

"That Yomi came."

"Yes. I didn't ask him, either." His voice adopted a teasing note. "I wonder how he found out there was a problem?"

"Yusuke probably told him."

"Hm. Yes, of course." He didn't say it as if he really meant 'of course.'

"Fox."

"Yes?"

"You look like you've aged about a thousand years."

"It's not that bad. I haven't been sleeping."

"Do you intend to go on at this rate?"

"Do you mean, am I staying here?" He was smiling again, I could hear it. "You know what I decided."

"She's just a human."

"I'm not _just_ a fox."

"Hn." It was a much more unfriendly 'hn,' than the first one, the sort of grunt that suggests the grunter is remembering all the reasons he stopped talking to the other person years ago. I had not favorably revised my opinion of him, and still have not. He is probably clinically insane himself, but it could be he's some kind of enabler, participating in my brother's delusion.

"Come outside," my brother suggested, with a little bit of a sigh. "I want to see how much stronger you've gotten."

"Not here. You come visit us, and then we can fight."

"And how is Mukuro?"

"Fine."

He laughed. He doesn't do that often, my brother, not when you don't suspect fairly strongly that he's mostly being polite. "It is good to see you, after all. Let's go outside, anyway." This second time he repeated the suggestion was so firm that I tiptoed to the front door and threw it open, then came in as loudly as I could. If I'd stayed where I was, they would have seen me on their way down the stairs. I hurried up to his bedroom after I'd 'come in' to apologize for 'probably waking him up,' but the grunter had somehow managed to leave before I got there. My brother was very polite and much sleepier than he'd sounded a minute before.

What do you think, Cho-chan? _Kitsunetsuki_ is a pretty fierce label to hang on him just for this conversation, but it seems accurate, and I have this feeling. I'm going to talk to him about it, once I've posted this. I'll be gentle. The illness is usually much more debilitating than this and completely impedes normal function, and I don't want to trigger a breakdown. There must be some way to come at it that won't upset him…I'll pretend his delusion is the truth. Apart from that, what do you think? Should I talk to Dad, and Mom? It's her business, he's more her family than ours, but she's so fragile just now. It's probably wrong to load such a private family matter on you, but you're almost family yourself.

I'm sorry this whole letter is about daiShuichi. But it really is important. Write back just as fast as you may. I love you.

-Shuichi

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Dear Sung Cho,

What is all this about foxes in your last letter? You seem really upset, but I don't understand. Fox spirits are uniformly evil in Korea? I'd actually learned about that in Comparative last year; the Korean fox spirits are analogous to the more malevolent kyuubi types in Japanese legends, but… Why are you worried about it? Who vanished before someone got into a room, and why is it important? Who's going crazy? I don't think you heard about it from me. Must be a mix-up. Everything's hospital-boring here. Is there another Shuichi you write to? You haven't been corresponding with my stepbrother without telling me, have you? I'm kidding.

Anyway, Mom is improving every day now. She still can't sit up yet, and she sleeps most of the time, but as long as she doesn't push herself they say a relapse is improbable. I'll be back at school before the week is out! And only have three weeks worth of work to catch up on. Please, please, be an angel and fill me in on absolutely everything from Physics. I'm not going to have a chance to sleep when I get back, but I promise sleeping or not I will make the time to take you out somewhere. You deserve it. A thousand kisses.

-Shuichi

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All seems poised to blow up in Kurama's face by return of post. Hehehe. The poor fool.

Hiei is obviously the grunter, and if you didn't catch this, the 'almost seems blind' doctor was Yomi. Aren't illusions swell? The dream flower pollen Kurama used to erase Shuichi's memory is from the volume 7 extra about when Kurama and Hiei met. I must give credit where credit is due to Aiieke, for depicting Kurama erasing his brother's memory for security purposes in 'Recur.' Do tell me what you think!


	2. Of A Troubled Mind

To Miss Sung Cho Kim,

Here it is, the second chapter! You guys asked, and I started writing it, but it took a few drafts to make it sound right, and then I hung onto it for a while and did some revisions. It's kind of short. Don't kill me. Third chapter is already well underway, so if the response is good it should be up soon! Here goes:

ON&ON&ON&ON&ON&ON&ON&ON&ON

To Miss Sung Cho Kim,

Your letter caused me great concern, although not for the reasons you seem to have intended. I assure you, young lady, that there is no chance of anyone in our family being injured or eaten by my stepson. The boy is a model citizen. I will be watching after him a little more carefully as long as he is at home, but only in case he is endangered by you or some associate. I hope you understand I mean this kindly, but please do not approach him as long as you consider him a fox-monster.

Sincerely,

Kazuya Hatanaka

ON&ON&ON&ON&ON&ON&ON&ON&ON

Miss Sung Cho Kim,

When I asked my son by telephone about the contents of your last letter, he admitted that you were his girlfriend, to whom he had intended to introduce us soon, and further that your suspicions were derived from a letter you had received in his handwriting that he had no recollection of having written. He finally indicated his own suspicion that his brother had removed that part of his memory. I beg you to concern yourself with my Shuichi's welfare. I hesitate to remove him from university in the middle of his education, but if he does not seem less confused soon I may have to do so. I will come to see him again, and to meet you, as soon as my wife is well.

Kazuya Hatanaka

ON&ON&ON&ON&ON&ON&ON&ON&ON

Miss Sung Cho,

I know you're worried. Stop encouraging him. He needs to get past the whole affair. No, I haven't spoken to my wife or my stepson about this. Dai-Shuichi's gone back to medical school, where I hope you'll forget about him. I could tell when I spoke to you that you want what's best for my Shuichi. Please look after him while I try to decide what to do.

Hatanaka

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Older Brother,

Dad thinks I'm losing my mind. I would like to believe I'm not. The letter I sent Sung Cho doesn't read like a product of psychosis, and the letter and my inability to remember going to bed the Tuesday after we went home to sit with your mom in hospital are the only signs of anything being wrong with me. And, of course, being suspicious of you is a possible sign of paranoid delusion. Please write back. If you don't know what I'm talking about, tell me so. If you did erase my memory, please give it back. If you can't, tell me that. And tell me this: What's the name of the person who says 'hn' so much?

-Shuichi Hatanaka

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-

-

_Little Brother,_

_His name is Hiei._

_Shuichi Minamino_

-

-

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Kazuya—

What are our sons doing, honey? I've received a worried phone call from a Korean girl hoping that your Shuichi was here, and when I said he wasn't she said, in a distracted way, 'with his brother, then,' and when I asked what was the matter she told me, 'no time, ask Hatanaka,' and hung up. I've tried ringing my Shuichi, but he hasn't been in his apartment any of the times I've called. You really should get a cellular phone, dear. Since you're traveling, I'm sending you this letter by way of your branch company. I hope it finds you, but I'll keep calling. I'd noticed you looking worried recently, but I wanted to let you tell me about it in your own time. But now I think I'd better ask. Something's wrong, isn't it?

Your loving,

Shiori

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Miss Kim,

No, I don't know where he is. You were supposed to look after him! No one has seen my stepson since yesterday, either, but you know that very well since _you're_ the one who rode to Tokyo to look for my Shuichi at his brother's university, and found Dai-Shuichi's empty apartment. But I am tired of hearing that he is a fox monster. Do not say it again. Because of your last call my wife has been introduced to the fallacy, and although it might amuse her if she knew where he was, in his current missing condition it has only upset her more.

Hatanaka

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Mr. Tamaoki,

We would like to register a complaint about the tenant above us, the student Minamino. When we moved in last week you promised us he would be a model neighbor, and yet what happened last night? First, he was making noise—walking about, carrying on a conversation with someone, which you assured us he almost _never_ does. Then our dinner is interrupted by a young hooligan _pounding_ up the stairs, knocking at our door, asking if we know where Minamino is. He goes _on_ pounding up the stairs, and then what do we have to listen to but a door being flung open and the hooligan shouting, and some kind of fight breaking out, or so we infer from the explosion and the shouting.

Minamino and his visitor continued to be disruptive for the next half hour until they left, making some bother on the stairs with some kind of bundle. If your building cannot live up to appropriate standards, we assure you we will give up the suite, and demand recompense for all the trouble we were put to moving into what we were assured would be a restful location.

Sincerely,

Fumi and Ayaka Honda

ON&ON&ON&ON&ON&ON&ON&ON&ON

Shuichi Minamino

73 Hiraiyama Street

Hongo, Tokyo

Dear Sir,

Your nonpayment of your bill this period has been noted by our company. Please pay all debts within the next thirty days. If your bills continue unpaid, our company will be obliged to revoke your power.

Sincerely,

Tokyo Electric Company, Incorporated

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—Chapter 2—Owari—To be Continued—

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Heheh. Kurama the genius made it into Tokyo U despite skipping large tracts of school for demon business. Don't ask me how he managed this. The graduate campus of Tokyo University is in fact in Hongo; I'm not sure Hiraiyama Street is a real street in Hongo. It might be, but coordinating Google Map with Google Translator was getting nuts, especially since you can't 'copy-paste' the actual map labels. Kurama is already in his mid-twenties here, and he's in off-campus housing, and he was probably about to pay the late electricity bill when Shuichi-kun turned up. (People in apartments don't actually pay their own electric bills, do they? It goes into their rent. Oh well. It's all in a good cause.) I bet he left the lights on when he left home, so he's still racking up bills. Dummy. At least it wasn't a faucet. Although it would serve those awful downstairs neighbors right if their ceiling did start raining.

Tokyo Electric Co., Inc., is actually the main power supplier for Tokyo. _Really._ I know, it sounded like I just made up a lame place-based company name, didn't it? I almost made up a fake company name just to be more interesting! Any questions? Looking forward to reviews!


	3. Letters From Prison

Under Guard

This should be the second-to-last chapter…I haven't improved it for months, so I guess it won't get any better just by my holding onto it. I got a lot of reviews on the first chapter, but not so many on the second. If you read this, drop me a line so I know whether to update, could you? To the person who anonymous-reviewed as ()—"Thanks." I'm saying it here since I couldn't review-reply to anonymity. And, by the way, next time I need a username I am definitely using 'Closed Parentheses,' which was how I read '().' If it was supposed to be a Greek letter or something…. :D

A complaint of incomprehensibility was lodged; that's bad because the point of a thing like this is that the readers are given to understand information they aren't necessarily handed, and if you aren't picking up on those things it means I'm not writing it well enough. But just sit back, put the pieces together, and work out where Shuichi is and why. He drops enough hints. That's what makes it fun. By the way, I haven't decided Shuichi-kun's major, but I get the idea it's kind of wishy-washy, not serious science stuff…he's taking Physics, but he's also taking Heian Readings, which would be a kind of history/lit course, and he took something on comparative mythologies last semester. Thoughts on his future profession?

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Dear Sung Cho,

All bets are off as to whether I'll actually get to send this letter. Whether he'll allow me, I mean. He's policing all communication until he's sure I won't implode his life by saying something he doesn't want me to, and he doesn't seem to grasp that controlling me this much is only going to make me stubborn.

You know what? He's already not going to let me send this. How can a write a letter to you in which I can't say whatever comes into my head, Cho-chan? I'll start again.

Dearest Sung Cho,

I really am fine. You're probably chewing yourself up with worry, but I _promise,_ cross my soul (and heart, but not fingers,) that my brother is not going to eat me. Okay? I'm absolutely sure of it. Can't discuss why. What I'm eating here is actually good, come to think of it, as long as 'Granny' doesn't try to make her patented death-curry. Whose primary ingredient seems to be curry powder, and when you have more spice than food in a food you know something is wrong.

Now I have to make sure my brother doesn't have her read this, too, because even as little as she is she wouldn't have any trouble putting me through hellish torments for speaking poorly of her cooking, and I only just healed. See? It's incredibly frustrating having my letter censored. It's just like being in prison. I think I'll hate daiShuichi soon.

Dear Sung Cho,

You'd think a person who sits in his living room with carnivorous plants waving their fronds in determination to be fed, talking with jumpy Mazoku hoodlums whose forefingers are perpetually loaded, leaving the front door unlocked, could be a little less free with the word 'indiscreet!' He's rejected the last seven letters I've drafted. I think he's scared of you, Cho-chan. But who does that person think he is? No sooner do they get me patched up to the point they know I'm not going to die, but he's all for making me forget everything again. I told him that by now I'd _know_ he'd made me forget if he did it, by the missing space, and if he made me forget so much that I forgot about forgetting, everyone at home would be able to see something was seriously up, so he could consign me to perpetuity in a mental institution or leave me as I was, but he was not going to just get away with any more mind wiping. I was vastly relieved, after saying that, to see he wasn't ready to completely destroy my life for his own convenience.

Yes, 'Shuichi,' I know you aren't going to let me send this one, either, but it was nice even pretending to say all that to my Sung Cho. Why did that just have to happen to be your pseudonym? Why did I just have to happen to be your stepbrother?

I'm writing Sung Cho again. Being angry takes energy, and my chest still hurts.

Dear Sung Cho,

You're not letting my disappearance ruin your academic standing, are you? Don't, okay? You're not likely to find me, so please don't spend time looking. No consulting priests and weird people who say they do spells, either, please, because this place is probably impregnable against any forty of them.

Drat. There goes another letter.

My dear, sweet Sung Cho,

This is the sixteenth letter I've begun. I'm being somewhat censored by my paranoid brother, who I promise is not going to kill me, turn me into soup, and come back wearing my skull and pretending to be me, or any of the other things you said he might do if he was a fox. Be calm, okay? I'm sorry I went haring off to Tokyo without telling you what was going on, but you saw the note he sent back to me. The one telling me that the grunter was named Hiei? I left it on the table. I don't know why he told me that, if he's being so chary about sharing other information with everyone else. I guess that was an attack of conscience, and now he's panicked that things are leaving his control. It's too late, though. Too much information has escaped. You've probably told Dad everything you know or suspect, though he won't believe the really outrageous parts, and if you haven't talked to my stepmother you will soon, and I wonder if daiShuichi has thought about the disparate benefits of telling Mom about himself before she's heard your recitation of foxes and impersonation and human-soup, and telling her after.

I really wish you wouldn't worry, but you know that, right? Well, actually, I sure hope you _are_ worrying, because if you weren't it would have to mean you've dumped me, but what I mean is I hope worrying isn't screwing up your life. Feed that idiot dog and take him for walks, do all your homework, spend time with the other girls. I'll be back before too long, I hope. The longer I'm gone the harder this rent through my life is going to be to mend, but I don't know how my brother can ever feel secure not being able to censor me until he's ready to blow his own cover, or how he thinks he can avoid explaining himself to everyone now, after kidnapping me, even if he makes me forget everything. He didn't try to explain himself to me, either. He left Granny and one of his friends to do that, which was probably a smart decision on his part, since I couldn't interrupt _them_ every ten seconds demanding motivations for every action he's taken all this time, as I would have done to him. They're on his side, though, even though they could only half-answer most of my motivation questions, since he's a closemouthed snapbrain.

Motives really make the difference, don't they, Cho-chan? 'When I met him, he was all set to die so his mom could live,' says the one who shot me. 'He's always doing that kind of thing.' Trigger-Finger Urameshi, (who wants me to stop making jibes about his best weapon that he semi-accidentally nearly-killed me with, when I started hitting my stepbrother,) seems to agree with my original conclusion, back when Mom still had pneumonia, that daiShuichi is insane, but he trusts him anyway. Granny's a little more reticent about that, but I doubt she trusts anyone except possibly Trigger, anyway. I'm starting to consider trusting that brother of mine, too. After all, he's not _just_ a fox.

Right, Shuichi?

Dear Sung Cho,

We're coming back! If you can, meet me at my dad's house tomorrow around one PM. If you can't, I'll come find you later. I have so much to talk to you about! I've tried writing you a lot of letters, but they all got censored out of existence until the last one, which I turned into a letter to the censor, the better to communicate with him. Message got through. I don't want to ruin this for him, so please, Cho-chan, don't say anything unnecessary to my stepmother. I'll see you as soon as humanly possible, and say everything else then. I love you so much.

Forever,

Your Shuichi


	4. Happily

_Not the last chapter after all; that is, unless there's no interest shown in it and I get few reviews. I wound up making more stuff happen. Tell me if you like it._

_

* * *

_

Dear Miss Kim,

I'm writing to apologize for the damage done to your dog last week when you came to meet my brother at home. I hope his leg has knit well. Also to apologize for any distress I may have caused you in connection with my brother's absence. Please don't hold any of this against him.

—Shuichi Minamino

* * *

Older Brother—

All missing you very much, with the exception of Sung Cho. I've finally made up all the coursework I missed in the autumn, though your grades were delivered the other day and you beat me again, and the dog is fine, thank you. Even Cho-chan admits that the silly thing did take you by surprise and do his level best to chew your face off. I say again, I never knew he had it in him. Mom and Dad have joined a gym together, and they're somehow adorable, going off in their little running shorts and T-shirts, with water bottles roughly the size of Pluto. Dad actually said something the other day about living long enough to see grandchildren. I didn't know what to do with my face for a second, I was so embarrassed. Ah, I'm still a kid, aren't I? I know you're using that irritating older-person smile right now.

Mom wants me to tell you that you shouldn't stay away just because the foxes in stories always leave after they're found out. She entreats you very prettily to come home; you haven't been since you dropped me off and made a clean breast of everything in October. It's the holidays now. Come on. (Covertly I add: I heard her talking about invoking a geis supposedly laid on spirits in exchange for hospitality after they're found out, to get you home for Christmas. She's been doing _research_. I haven't the first notion whether such a thing really exists, but if it does it has you pinned nine ways from Wednesday, given you lived with her for eighteen years. I suggest you come for a visit before she actually tries it? Out of family feeling and goodwill.) Come now, Kurama, you are sorely missed. Don't be a spoilsport. The family cat says hello.

—Shuichi Hatanaka

* * *

Dear Miss Kim,

I write to extend my hearty congratulations on your engagement to my younger brother. I'm sorry to be unable to tender them in person, but I will certainly appear at the ceremony. I owe you every thanks for overcoming your dislike of me enough to invite me to it. I can recommend a florist.

—Shuichi Minamino

* * *

Shuichi,

Sorry to leave a note instead of being here to make breakfast, but I just couldn't help myself from running down to the newlyweds' house to help them put it in order, and you were sleeping so peacefully, just like when you were a boy. Weren't they beautiful yesterday? I'll say it another hundred times before I'm through, and cluck over the wedding photos when they arrive. I suppose I must be turning into an old woman, I do seem to go on so these days. Your brother and that sweet Sung Cho will have to give me some grandchildren before I'm too old to spoil them properly. There are nice fresh anpan in the coldbox, and fruit and milk where they always were. Feel free to demolish as many wedding-reception leftovers as you like, but the important thing is to have a healthy breakfast.

Love,

Mom

* * *

YuWoo, brother-in-law,

You will be welcome in our house to see your new nephew whenever you wish to come. It was never my intention to keep you away. My Shuichi has even made the joke that he will leave a window open for you to creep in by, if that suits you better; I think I will restrain him to putting a light just behind the glass. Consider that light an invitation. Our son is beautiful, and we named him beginning with a 'Ku.'

In all sincerity,

Sung Cho Hatanaka-Kim

* * *

Older Brother—

Thanks. Thanks thanks thanks thanks thanks. Thank you very humbly and effusively. I don't know how we can ever thank you properly. We were afraid we'd never see Kuuhiko again. Ransom or no ransom, police or no police. I don't think anything could be more terrifying. So I'm glad we had you.

I even made that bad old pun, you know the one, maybe, I hope you'll forgive me since it turned out to be true and all: 'Kurama ki-tsune,' and you did come. Out of the sideways-driving snow like that, with silver hair getting mixed up with the snowflakes, and Kuuhiko wrapped in a blanket. Actually, I nearly didn't recognize you. I'd been expecting your usual looks. And here I am rambling, not making any sense and going on about the wrong things when the point was to thank you. Since you _will_ go off like that the moment people turn their backs. You could have stayed for coffee or tea, _do_ stay for coffee or tea next time you're in the neighborhood, accept a dinner invitation more often than once a year. There was definitely no need to feel awkward because of your appearance; even if we minded it _normally_ (alright, Sung Cho would mind normally) it was probably instrumental in getting Kuuhiko back safe, and even if it wasn't we wouldn't have minded. We wouldn't have minded if you'd had three heads. (In which case would I have three older brothers?) Hope to see you again before next Christmas.

Thank you, thank you, thank you,

—Shuichi Hatanaka

* * *

_No need to thank me. We're family._

_-Minamino_

_

* * *

_

Brother-in-law,

If you would please refrain from leaving messages pinned to the front door, and definitely not pressed into the butter or concealed inside of melons, except as birthday-presents, and even then I would appreciate it if you would leave the butter alone. It pleases no one but Shuichi and Kuuhiko, and is very awkward to account for to visitors. There is a postal service. Please at least pretend to use it. Or you could show your face. I'm not particular.

In your debt,

Sung Cho Hatanaka-Kim

* * *

Sister-in-law—

I chiefly aimed to please Kuuhiko, who I thought needed cheering up after his kidnapping, but if you require it I'll tend toward the discreet. In any case, I'm going to be away for a while. No time to write more than a few lines, but please give my regards to your husband and son. Regards,

Shuichi Minamino

* * *

Fox, tell that frigid bitch who the human brother you saw fit to introduce the oaf to saw fit to marry to watch her tongue around Satoshi, or she'll regret it at length.

* * *

Family gossip, Hiei? Ms. Sung-Cho says, for her part, that you had better watch your tongue around Kuuhiko if you ever again happen to be visiting your sister at the same time my nephew is visiting yours. I'm not entirely sure how you managed to offend, since you've never been a notable user of obscenities, so shall we assume the trouble was over racial slurs on both sides and agree to avoid them in the future?

-Kurama

* * *

_The Offices of the Honorable Potentate Mukuro wish you to be advised:_

I'll agree if she will, I suppose.

_Thank you, you have been warned._

_

* * *

_

Thank you for your choice of writing paper last time, Hiei. The day wouldn't have been the same without it. Has Mukuro's secretary noticed your petty larceny? Ms. Sung Cho promises to keep a civil tongue in her head if _you_ do. I'm going off on business soon, so I can't broker that agreement if it needs enforcing. Incidentally, Satoshi and Kuuhiko are apparently having some kind of uncle contest, and due to the wealth of material provided by Kuwabara's voluminous storytelling, Satoshi is winning.

-Kurama

* * *

**RETURNED TO SENDER:ADDRESSEE UNAVAILABLE/PLACE OF RESIDENCE NO LONGER EXTANT/LOCAL POLITICAL CONDITIONS HOSTILE TO MAIL CARRIERS/OTHER ACT OF CIRCUMSTANCE THANK YOU.-------**

_{The Offices of the Honorable Potentate Mukuro wish you to be advised:_

That isn't why he's winning.

_Thank you, you have been warned.}_

_

* * *

_

[The following appeared in the ads section of the MaShinBun, the most widely circulating newsletter in the Makai, the week of March 9th, in between a product promising the renewed usefulness of vestigial gills or wings by daily application and an offer to pay interested professional treasure hunters twice the going rate to investigate a promising cache-map.]

**DAISHUICHI**, come home NOW. _URGENT._

_

* * *

_

[The following ran a week later. Ad space in the MaShinBun is very expensive and sold by the square quarter inch.]

WOULD ANY READERS KNOWING

THE WHEREABOUTS OF **YOUKO **

**KURAMA** PLEASE ADVISE HIM OF

_URGENT NEED_ TO VISIT CERTAIN

UNDISCLOSED LOCATION, OR

REFER WHEREABOUTS TO **HIEI**

OF MUKURO'S VASSALS OR TO

FORMER DOMINIONS OF **RAIZEN**.

* * *

Dear Hiei,

Yuusuke says to tell you that Kurama needs to come home asap, his mother looks to be in a bad way. Not so bad that I've gotten a memo, but even that might happen soon. Could you pass the message on?

Love,

Botan

* * *

Dearest Brother,

Mr. Kurama's mother isn't well. He's needed urgently at her side. I was going to write you anyway, but Mr. Kurama's brother called and was nearly begging, and Kazuma is looking upset now, and I'm upset myself. Please, tell him she's asking for him.

Sincerely yours,

Yukina

* * *

_The Offices of the Honorable Potentate Mukuro wish you to be advised:_

Why does everyone assume I know where to find that confounded fox? I don't.

_Thank you, you have been warned._

_

* * *

_

Chapter summary and author's note, for those who want them:

A while after the Shuichis came home and explained things, Sung Cho and Shuichi H. were married and produced Kurama's nephew Kuuhiko. One winter some years later, he was kidnapped, and rescued ultimately by Kurama as silver fox. Hiei was outed as Yuukina's brother, Yuukina married Kuwabara, and Hiei also has a nephew, whose name is Satoshi and who plays with Kuuhiko, because Kurama introduced Shuichi H. and Kuwabara to one another. Sung Cho and Hiei have come into some friction. And now everyone is running around trying to contact Kurama because Shiori is sick, but he's incommunicado somewhere in the Makai.

Kuuhiko's name isn't written with the same opening kanji as Kurama's, just the same pronunciation (and even that is a long 'oo' instead of a short one), but it's still an excessive little flattery on Shuichi-otouto's part, and a nice gesture on Sung-Cho's to bring it up. Newspaper messages were coded because as few people as possible should be let in on the fact that Youko Kurama has this huge gaping weakness sitting around, so 'Youko Kurama, come home, your mother's sick' was not an acceptable form of public message. Don't know who exactly informed Hatanaka Shuichi of this. Maybe Yukina, she's cannier than she sometimes seems. I _love_ Mukuro's office letterhead. Hope Gawain and I aren't the only ones. Ffdotnet destroys formatting, though. Please review!


End file.
